Ryan and Astronema - We'll Always have Varis Falls
by DannyDangerr
Summary: Ryan and Astronema have similar pasts and soon their paths cross on Onyx while both are on missions for their mentors. Takes place before either go up against the Rangers.


**Ryan and Astronema: We'll Always have Varis Falls**

Ryan had been living on the planet Onyx for a few years now and was starting to get comfortable. He had always liked watching Westerns on TV when he was younger and now it was like he was living his fantasy. Though the planet was a lot like an old Western, there were also plenty of evil creatures that inhabited the planet. At first they had frightened him, but as he matured into his teen years, Ryan felt he could take on any of them. He was determined to become the ruler of the dark kingdom as promised by his mentor Diabolico.

Diabolico had given him a new mission. He was to find the monster named Tagus and kill him. Diabolico had a grudge against Tagus, and by killing Tagus, Ryan would be testing his skills and proving his loyalty to Diabolicio. Ryan was up for the challenge and made his way to the Onyx tavern in search of Tagus.

As Ryan was arriving at Onyx Tavern he saw a beautiful girl dressed in black leather with blonde flowing hair. He was not used to seeing other humans on Onyx, let alone one so beautiful. He walked into the tavern behind her and her guard. He sat at a table across from them so he could check her out and listen in on their conversation.

Her guard spoke first, "Now Astronema, I will leave you to this mission on your own. Remember the Wrath Staff is very powerful so take caution when you battle him."

"Don't worry about me Ecliptor. I can handle this." She noticed the human boy sitting across from her. She thought it was odd to see another human on Onyx but she was too preoccupied with finding Tagus' location.

Ecliptor stood up and announced to the patrons of the tavern, "Who can tell us the whereabouts of Tagus."

Ryan became more interested. He wondered how far Astronema would go to get the staff from Tagus. He had to defeat Tagus himself. No matter how attractive the girl was, he couldn't let her interfere with his mission.

A Tenga approached Ecliptor and said, "I may know where to find him...if the price is right."

Ecliptor grabbed him forcefully and said, "Tell us now if you want to live."

"Ok, ok! He lives in the cave behind Varis Falls."

Ecliptor threw the Tenga down and said, "Thank you."

Ryan got up quickly and left the tavern. He saw the dirt bike that Astronema had arrived on. He pulled out his pocket knife and poked a hole in her gas tank. The gas began to slowly drip out. He got his own dirt bike and headed off toward Varis Falls.

Ecliptor and Astronema came out soon after. As she got on her dirt bike Ecliptor said, "Good luck my princess."

Astronema started up the dirt bike and zoomed off, without realizing the slow leak from her gas tank. She noticed the human boy had left in a hurry and she sped up wondering if he had left in the same direction as her. She was traveling at top speed when she finally could catch a glimpse of him clearly going the same route that she was. She figured he must have heard Tagus' location and was on his way there as well, to steal the Wrath Staff before she could get it. Angry at the boy, she got closer and aimed her hand at his dirt bike and shot a bolt of energy out at him causing the bike to catch fire.

Ryan skidded off the dirt bike and seeing it on fire ran away from it as it exploded shortly after. Astronema drove up toward him and stopped the bike right in front of him. She looked down at him and said, "So you were eavesdropping on my conversation with Ecliptor weren't you?"

"What if I was?"

"You wanted the power of the Warth Staff for yourself. Well too bad. Now you'll be stuck out here in the middle of nowhere and the staff will be mine!"

Ryan jumped to his feet and smiled widely. "Well, at least I won't be stranded out here alone."

"What do you mean," Astronema asked annoyed.

"Well I'll have the company of a lovely leather clad girl."

"Dream on. Good bye loser."

Astronema fired up her bike and zoomed off. However she began to realize the bike was losing speed. Finally it stopped completely. Ryan had been following behind her. He was less than a mile behind where Astronema broke down and as she looked back at him he just put his arms out as if to say "I don't know," with a smirk on his face.

Astronema was furious. She walked briskly back toward Ryan. When they met she said, "You idiot! You poked a hole in my gas tank!"

"Guilty!"

"Do you realize what you've done?"

"Me? If you hadn't blown up my bike at least we could have had one functioning bike."

"We? If I hadn't blown up your bike I would have thrown you off of it and taken it to Varis Falls myself."

"Feisty!"

"The Wrath Staff will be mine!"

"I don't even want the staff! I just have to defeat Tagus for my mentor."

"Your mentor?"

"Diabolico. Well he's almost like a father really."

This intrigued her. "A father? You mean, you don't have a real dad?"

"Not that its any of your business but yeah I do. But...well he has never been much of a dad to me."

Astronema never knew her real parents. Ecliptor was her mentor and father figure. She was doing this mission for him. She could understand where Ryan was coming from.

Ryan continued, "Look I just want to fight the guy. After I defeat him I'll leave the staff for you. Bye."

Ryan turned his back to her and started walking away ahead of her. She tilted her head in confusion and annoyance. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To fight Tagus," he said still walking away.

"That's where I'm going!"

"I just said I'll fight him and leave the staff."

Astronema scrunched up her face in anger. "You're an idiot."

"What?"

"Why don't we just travel together? We're both going the same way and want the same thing."

Ryan smiled mischievously. He turned and said, "Why didn't I think of that?"

The two walked side by side, not talking, for a few hours when it began to get dark. Ryan found a flat area with some shrubbery around it. He said, "We can camp here tonight."

"Camp? With you?"

"Okay _I _can camp here tonight. I guess I'll meet up with you in the morning or not."

Astronema contemplated her decision when finally she said, "Fine I'll camp here. We leave first thing in the morning. I don't want Ecliptor to worry about me."

Ryan started a campfire while Astronema zapped some rabbits for them to cook. As they sat around the campfire letting the rabbit meat cook Astronema asked, "So how did a human like yourself end up here on Onyx?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Well I asked first."

"Alright but its kind of a long story."

"It's not like we have anything else to do out here."

"True. Well I was in a car accident with my dad and sister. We went over a cliff and I was hanging on to my dad's shoe. He was holding on to my sister. I begged him to help me but instead he held on to Dana, my sister. He let me fall. I was luckily saved by Diabolico. If it hadn't been for him I wouldn't be here today. He brought me here to Onyx because he knew I could train here. He is training me to be the ruler of the dark kingdom." Ryan's voice began to sound more sinister as he added, "Once he and the other demons are free from the tomb, I will be able to help them and rule."

Astronema liked the streak of evil in Ryan and found it rather attractive. She also felt a sense of kinship toward him since she had a similar experience. She said, "I'm being trained to rule as well."

"Really?"

"I never knew my parents...well...at least if I did I don't remember them. Ecliptor is the only father figure I've ever had. He's always been good to me. He's training me to be the Queen of Evil!"

"Ruler of a dark kingdom and a queen of evil. What a pair we make."

"Yeah."

They were sitting across from each other and as it got quiet they just looked into each other's eyes as the reflection of the fire flickered in their eyes. Ryan smiled and Astronema couldn't help but smile back.

"I don't know what you were thinking trying to sneak out of that tavern before me. You really think I wouldn't notice the only other human there?"

"Yeah I guess you're right. I mean I definitely noticed you," He said with another smile.

Astronema blushed. "Calm down Romeo. Now let's get some rest. We have to make it to Varis Falls tomorrow morning."

They slept on opposite sides of the fire.

The next morning Ryan woke up and looked toward where Astronema had been sleeping and saw that she was gone. He jumped up quickly and looked around but she was nowhere to be seen. He ran toward Varis Falls as fast as he could. As he ran he was filled with anger and disappointment. He thought he and Astronema had made a connection the night before. He was starting to really like her. Now he didn't know what to feel. He still felt a connection with her, but at the same time he felt betrayed.

Astronema had left early conflicted about her feelings. Ecliptor had always told her to stay focused on her training. She had never even been allowed to entertain the thought of "boys." Though she was a teenage girl, and those feelings were unavoidable no matter how much Ecliptor tried to suppress them. Still she was loyal to Ecliptor and couldn't let her feelings for Ryan get in the way.

She arrived at Varis Falls and passed through the water fall into the cave behind it. She wiped her damp bangs from her face and she made her way into the cave to find Tagus. She called out, "Tagus! Show yourself!"

Tagus emerged from the darkness holding the Wrath Staff in his hand. He growled at Astronema. "Have you come to challenge the Mighty Tagus?"

Astronema shot at Tagus with bolts of energy from her hands. He was struck down but recovered and aimed the staff at her. He shot his own bolts of energy at her through the staff. Astronema was hit and badly wounded by the blasts. She noted that the staff must be increasing Tagus' powers. She had to get it from him. She rolled to the side and got back up. She jumped and side kicked him in the head knocking him down. He dropped the staff as he fell. Astronema ran toward it and grabbed it. Tagus grabbed it as well and the two tugged at it. Since he was more skilled with the staff he grabbed it and caused it to light up with energy which hurt Astronema and caused her to let go. He got up with his staff in hand and blasted Astronema with several bolts of energy. She was down for the count. Too weakened to fight back. The staff was as powerful as Ecliptor had claimed. However it would be her downfall.

Ryan had arrived at the waterfall just then. As he passed through the waterfall he heard the commotion up ahead. He approached the scene cautiously. He saw the predicament Astronema was in. He debated whether to help her or not but it didn't take long for him to decide to save her.

He did a flying side kick toward Tagus and knocked the Wrath Staff out of his hand before he could strike Astronema. Tagus was caught off guard by Ryan's appearance; enough that Ryan could grab the staff and lunge at Tagus with it. Tagus was slain by the staff and keeled over. Astronema got up and though weakened, she had enough energy to blast Tagus one last time sending him hurtling through the water fall and into the water below.

Ryan made an angry face at Astronema; he threw the staff down at her feet then turned and walked out of the cave. She picked up the staff and watched as Ryan began to leave her. She followed quickly behind him and shouted, "Wait!"

He stopped at the edge of the cave with the water fall splashing in front of him. Astronema walked up to him and stood face to face.

"I'm sorry I left you. I really did plan on doing this together. Its just..."

"You're lucky I was there. He would have had you. I should have just let him."

"But you didn't."

"Yeah well maybe I won't be such a great ruler of the dark kingdom after all."

"Maybe I won't be such a great queen of evil."

"What do you mean? You got your Wrath Staff now."

"I mean...Ecliptor told me not to get distracted by silly things."

"Like what?"

"Like cute boys."

Ryan turned to her.

"That's why I left. I felt attracted to you and I felt if I stayed it would distract me from my mission."

"Well the mission is over now."

"You're right."

Ryan held Astronema close in his arms and the two kissed passionately under the water fall.

He pulled away and looked her in the eye and said playfully, "Feisty!"

She smiled and said, "Idiot!"

They kissed again.

"You know we both have a lot of responsibility in our near futures. This will never work out."

"Says who? Once we're all powerful we can do whatever we want!"

"Yeah...I guess you're right."

"Until then...I'll be making several trips to Onyx."

Ryan smiled and kissed her again.


End file.
